Apparatus fob treating petroleum products



U. S. JENKINS. APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPI-27.1916.

Patented Nov. 1l, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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W /Z WL U. S. IENKINS.

APPARATUS FUR IREATING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS.

APPLlcAlon FILED sLPLzz, 191s.

1,321,749. l Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. J

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ULYSSES S. JENKINS, 0F CHICAG, ILLINOIS.

APP'AATUS FOR'TREATING- PETROLEUM PRODUCTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nev. 11, 191e.

Application 1ed`Septembe1 27, 1916. Serial No. 122,333.

i To all whom it may concern.'

' Be it known that I, ULYssEs S. JENKINS, a citizen of t-he United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Petroleum Products.

.This invention4 relates to apparatus for treating petroleum products, and has for an object the accomplishment of the method disclosed in my co-pending application, Se-

i rial' No. 108,983, for treating heavier hydrocarbons, such as petroleum oilswhereby the Condensable lightoil may be obtained from petroleum and its by-produ'cts.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for treating heavier hydrocarbons whereby they may be transformed with a minimum of waste through ythe production of permanent gases or of carbon into gasolene and other condensable light byproducts, it being entirely unnecessary to empty and re-fill stills or the like to treat separate charges of the petroleum oil, the process being contin-uous from the beginning to the end, so that the heavier hydrocarbons may flow continuously through pipes from the source of supply to the apparatus in which its treatment is carried out, and a substantially equal quantity of light, condensable oil, such as gasolene, will flow continuously from that apparatus; furthento provide apparatus whereby the conversion of heavier hydrocarbon 'may be carried out and in which circulation is so controlled and f eiected that the deposit of carbon will be reduced to a negligible amount.

1t is a further object of this invention to improve the construction of a gas generating apparatus involving' circulatory tubes whereby the circulation is rendered more -simple a-nd thel liability of its being ruptured under eXtreme conditionsl of heat. and temperature are reduced. I

It -is another object of this .invention to provide apparatus of the class described in which a quiet regionis provided for the gas take-off in combination with the gas take-v off apparatus .adapted to selectively take oil' -gases generated in the still.

It is -another object of my invention tol provide improvedA firing and re control'in the apparatus described.

tion of myapparatus, partly diagrammatic;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional .plan view show ing the firing chamber;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view showing the control for the gas take-off;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional elevation ef the mud leg construction; l

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the gas closure valve; A

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional fragmentary view of a modified construction showing the drum 1 otherwise as in Fig. 1 Ib-ut terminating near the edge of the furnace instead of projecting beyond the same..

In the drawings, 1 represents ythe barrel or drum of a still, suspended from an overhead support 2 by a plurality of straps so as to impose no weight whatever-cupn' the brickwork underneath it which serves' solely.'

to confine and direct the flames. The barrel 1 of the still is provided at its rear end with a circular depending mud leg 4, which feeds into the transverse drum 5 of substantially the same diameter as the barrel 1. The pros. duct to be treated is pumped under pressure through the inlet pipe I into the crosshead u 5. Another transverse drum 6 is arranged across the forward end of the `still and-,in

open communication therewith, and a large-H number of tubes 7 are welded at their ends to the two crossheads 5 and 6 and to the bottom of the drum 1 where-the bottom of this drum intersects andoverlies the A `periph-4 ery of thecrosshead 6.

as to afford a smooth and easy passage for liquid flowing from crosshead 5 into crosshead 6. This arrangement of the tubes is important and advantageous for the reason The tubes 7 are bent, as indicated at l8, so'

'that the gradual bend in- -the tubes at'the'* 1,

point l8 in effect affords at the upper end of y.

the; tubes alarge chamber comprising the entire .inside of the barrel l, whereas at the foot of the tubes the liquid is compelled toA pass through the connecting leg .4 Which is of smaller diameterthan cross head 6 and the depen-ding leg 4 which is completely filled with liquid so that as the liquid passes upward through these tubes and is subjected to the increasing heat of the fire, its expansion and ebullition will take place in the large unconfined chamber comprising the drum 1, whereas the cooler` contracted liquid `ing the cap..o f each individual tube.

is in the smaller connecting leg y4 in which the liquid is more confined. The bend has vanother important function in'that it serves 4which point all of the tubes 7 may` be cleaned by a flexible cleaner of the kind well known Without the necessity of rerrrliqy- 1s of course renders the whole apparatus safer and easier to'manipnlate and reduces the liability of vleakage or rupture.

'I have provided a mechanical circulatory apparatus comprising a shaft 11,. driving the shaft 12 through means o-f beveled gears 13 in the housing 14, the shaft 12 passing downwardly through a sleeve 15 into the tubular mudleg 4, in which it has a bearing in the spider 16, and in which is located the propeller 17, Y-so that by this mechanical circulatory apparatus liquid in the still can be made to circulate' back from the front as far as the mud leg 4, down this mud leg, up the inclined tubes and back again as rapidly as desired.

Ihave devised a novel self-sealing connection for the shaft 12 to `absolutely prevent the escape of any gas therethrough, while at'the same time this shaftv is permitted to rapidly and easily rotate. The shaft 12 is freely 'revoluble in the sleeve 15, which is equipped at its upper endV with a gland 18, packed as customary. At its lower` v end, the sleeve 15 has a preferably phosphor-bronze insertl 19, against which is seated the conical face of the shoulder 20 on the shaft 12. It 1s obvious that the pressure generated in the still will cause the conical face of the shoulder 20 to bear'against the sealing, absolutely tight joint, which at the same time is always lubricated because itis under the surface of the liquid level in the still. 4,

The liquid circulatingl `rapidly through phosphorbronze insert 19 and afford a self- .pinginto the liquid in the barrel 1.

It is an important feature of the invention that I carry the barrel 1 of the still considerably back beyond the mud leg 4, as

indicated by the extension 1', at the end of which I preferably place the liquid level indicator 23 to indicate the levelrof the liquid in the still as explained in my co-pending application. This extension on the still serves an important purpose inasmuch as it provides aquiet pool beyond the rapid cir- Aculatory system, the circulation reaching back only as far as the mud le# 4 so that gases and vapors generated in tlie still and flowing out of the liquid both out of the upper end of the pipes 7 and alonfr the body of the still may collect in an absolutely undisturbed place free from currents, eddies, or the like so as toencourage as much as possible the arranging of the vapors and gases in layers, which is an important feature of my invention. In vother words, the light gases and vapors generated in the still, while they may be more or less mixed up with the heavier gases and vapors at the front end thereof, where there is violent agi* tation, by the time they have iiowed back to the utterly undisturbed rear projection 1 on the still, have assumed a higher position than the heavier gases and vapors so that they are' fairly well separated.4 I provide a collector 24 comprising a wide fiat, box-like construction having holes in its top, which may be vertically adjusted by means of the handle 26, shaft 27, worms 28, operating worm wheels 29 fast upon screw threaded shafts 30 operating in-sleeves 31 and packed by glands 32, ars-indicated. Shafts 30 are fastened at their lower ends to the gas collector 24. The interior of the gas collector 24 is in communication through pipe 25 passing through glands 36 with the interior of the sleeve 37, which communicates with the pipe 38 carrying the gases through an expansion chamber 39 by way of pressure relief valve 40, where the gases may expand passing therefrom through the pressure relief. valve n 41 into a condenser 42. At the outlet side of the condenser 42 is a 'gas retaining valve 43, shown in .enlarged cross sectional detail in Fig. 5, comprising a casing 44having a web 45 therein which makes two seats 46 and 47 in which are respec` tively seated the two valves 48 and 49 upon the shank of the float 50. This' valve is adapted to permit liquids to escape but Will seal the apparatus against the escape of any gas whatever. struction are not involved in the present invention but are disclosed in the patent to lPoindeXter No. 1,146,276, issued July 13, 1915, a feature of the invention here involved, however, being the application of such a valve or its equivalent to a still of the character being described. v i

By the mechanism just described, it is readily perceived that .the pressure relief valve 40 having been set to any desired pressure that pressure will be maintained continually in the still and the collector 24 may be set at a level to take off from the quiet region in the still, wherein there isno circulation and no disturbance and where the ,gases and vapors may arrange in layers. the particular gases and vapors desired for condensation, leaving the other gases and vapors in the sphere of the reaction Where, by the well known theory of mass reaction, they will prevent the formation of any more gases and vapors of their own kind. The result of this operation is that continued'operation of the still will transform a very large proportion or all of the fuel supplied l to the still into the particular gases and vapors being taken ofi' through the collector 24 and, if desired, into condensable gases and vapors Which are cooled in the expansion chamber 39, pass through the pressure relief valve 4 1, preferably set quite low, pass through the condenser 42, land run Aout from the outlet 51.

It is an important feature of the invention that substantially no hydrogen or other gas is permitted to escape from the process. rllhe provision of a special means to this end is of the greatest advantage. The contemplated purpose lof my new still is to transform heavy petroleum product into light condensable oil such as gasolene and the like, these oils preferably consisting of saturated hydrocarbons. ucts contain the constituents required to make a relatively large quantity of light gasolene if all of the constituents of the product being treated can be maintained in the reaction and none of the light gases es cape. It is because of the escape of light gases, such as methane and hydrogen, robbing the product undergoing treatment of a disproportionate amount of hydrogen, that in ordinary processes a great deal of carbon is deposited and a small percentage of gasolene and light fractions can be obtained. Substantially all the permanent gases and hydrogen permitted to escape result in a corresponding amount of unsaturated hy drocarbons and` deposited carbon. In my Specific details of its con-r The crude petroleum prodapparatus, therefore, by providing the gas -that I keep substantially all of the hydrogen in the product being treated to saturate the resulting hydrocarbon compounds and permit none of the hydrogen to be Wasted withl the resulting product of unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds andv deposit of carbon.

To heat the still, Iprovide a fire chamber 55 `in which are arranged a number of preferably square piers 56 of different sizes, against the corners of which fuel is driven at a high velocity out of the feed nozzles 57, the air for combustion entering through the opening 58. The streams of fuel out of the nozzles 57 will strike angularly upon the piers 56 and'ricochet from one pier to another and upagainst and oif the walls of the efficient and inexpensive arrangement particularly adapted to refineries and petroleum `treating plants, wherein liquid fuel is cheaply available. The hot gases and flames from the fire pass uwardly around the pipes 7, as indicated by the arrow, over a baffle 59, down behind a baille 60, up in frontof the baflie 6l, and out through the flue 62. .A

baffle 63 is provided which prevents the hottest iiames from striking the cross-head l0 or the unions at the upper ends of the pipes 7.

The baiie 64 is also provided to force the stream from the'ire to take the undulatory path just described. The furnace 1s con- .lined at its rear and sides by the brickvvork 65, and the barrel of the drum l is entirely baffled away from the fire by the brickwork 66 so that nothing is subjected to the direct heat ofthe fire eXcept'the reach of the tubes 7 between the bafiies 61 and 63.

In the modification represented by Fig. 6

the projection of the drum beyond the edge of the furnace is omitted and a space is af forded above the .level of the liquid hydrocarbons in which the gases and vapors given off Will be confined substantially at rest out of the line of circulation of the liquidl hydrocarbons, such gases and vaporous products tending lto temporarily arrangevthemselves therein according to their densities, the lighter at the top and the heavier below.

I claim:

1.` In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a still in which said hydrocarbons may be heated to evolve gases 'and vapors, means for maintaining pressure 1n said still, means for removing the l gases and vapors of greater average density than that of the lowest produced in the still,

said last mentioned means being adjustable whereby to remove said gases and vapors at surface of the liquid contents of the still,

and a mechanical circulatory apparatus for creating a positive circulation of said liquid contents, to increase the amount of gas and vapor evolved, and prevent the deposit of carbon'on the still surfaces.

' cause a circulation down -saidpassage up- 3. In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a drum having a passage depending therefrom, inclined -tubes connecting said passage back to the drum,'means for causing the entire body of liquid to positively circulate simultaneously down said passage, upwardly through said inclined tubes, and back through said drum to evolve gases and va ors, and means for selectively drawing o evolved gases and vapors -of greater average density than the lightest produced in the drum.

4. In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a drum having a passage depending therefrom, inclined tubes connecting said passage back to the drum, and a mechanical circulatory apparatus in said depending passage adapted to I cause a positive circulation ofthe liquid-hydrocarbons down said passage, upwardly through said inclined tubes, and back through said drum tosaid passage, and vertically adjustable means for removing the gases and vapors at selective points below the `top of the drum.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a ireboX, a drum, a passage depending therefrom, means to circulate liquid in said drum, ldown said passage, said drum being extended beyond said passage to afford a portion out yof direct contact with the heat from the rebox to afford a quiet region in which there is practically no, circulation.

.6. In apparatus of the class described a irebox, a drum, a passage depending therefrom, inclined boiler tubes connecting 4said passage 'back to saidV drum, and means to wardlythrough said inclined tubes, and back to said-passage, said drum being'provided with 'an eXtensionbeyond said passage to afford a quiet region in the still, inY which the evolved vapors will arrange themselves temporarily according to their densities, said extension being out of direct contact with the heat from the reboX.

.7. In apparatus of the class described, a ire'boX, a still, means for causing the positive mechanical circulation of the liquid therein, and an extension on saidstill out of direct contact with the heat from said firebox to maintain liquid in a quiet state, substantially undisturbed by said circulation.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a rebox, a still adapted to convert liquids into gases, means for causing a positive circulation in said still out of direct contact with the heat from said firebox, an extension on said still to provide a quiet region independent of said circulation, and a gas takeoff apparatus adapted to take olf gas above said quiet region.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a ireboX, a still, circulatory means to cause positive circulation therein, means for maintaining a portion of the liquid in said still out of the range of said mechanical circulation and of the direct heat from the lirebox to form a quiet region and in open communication with the remainder of the liquid in said still, and a gas take-off located in the quiet region.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a still adapted to convert liquids into gases and vapors, a circulatory system in said still, a quiet region in said still to permit said gases and vapors to arrange themselves temporarily according to their respective densities, and take-cti' means to selectively take olf gases and vapors from said quiciregion. l

11. In apparatus of the class described, a still,` a circulatory system'therein, a quiet region therein adapted to permit the evolved gases and vapors to arrange themselves temporarily in layers according to their densities, and take-oil' means comprising a collector in open communication with the pipe -leading out of said still, and means to adjust said collector vertically to take o gases and vapors from different strata of said quiet region.

l2. In apparatus of the class described, a still, a circulatory system' therein, a quiet region in said still out of the range ot circulation to permit the evolved gases and vapors to `arrange themselves temporarily according to their densities, and vertically adjustable means in said quiet vregion to selectively take oli' said stratified gases and vapors.

13. In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a still in which said hydrocarbons' may be heated under pressure, said still comprising a drum having a downwardly extending passage, a crossliead at the lower end of said passage,

lll

a crosshead' in said drum, inclined 'tubes connecting said crossheads, circulatory apparatus in said passageway for causing a positive and simultaneous circulation of said heavier hydrocarbons down said passageway, upwardly through said inclined tubes and back through said drum, and a vertically-.adjustable take-off for removing at selective points below the top of the drum evolved gases and vapors of greater average density than that of the lowest produced in said still. D

14. still comprising a portion adapted to be subjected to gas vapor generating inuences and a chamber connected with said still adapted to permit the gases and vapors generated to How thereinto and arrange themselves temporarily in layers according to their densities, and a take-off to selectively tap the gases and vapors of desired density.

15. In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a still comprising a horizontal drum, a furnace, a series of heating tubes passing through the furnace, connections establishing communication between the respective ends of the tubes and the drum, said drum being adapted to contain a comparatively shallow elongated uninterrupted moving body of heavier hydrocarbons, which also fills said tubes and connections, mechanical means outside the drum. to cause the main body ofthe heavier hydrocarbons to simultaneously and rapidly 'circulate through said drum, tubes, and con nections, to successively apply heat thereto for increasing the amount of gases and vapors evolved and preventing the deposit of carbon on the passage walls.

16. A still for treating heavier hydrocarbons to4 obtain light oil therefrom, comprising a chamber, a series of heating tubes outside said chamber, mechanical means for simultaneously circulating themain bodypf liquid hydrocarbons through the heating tubes and mechanically uninterruptedly through said chamber, means for directly heating the liquid hydrocarbons in the tubes while circulating it, and means above the circulating liquid hydrocarbons for drawing ed' the evolved gases and vapors as and for the purposes set forth.

17. A still for treating heavier hydrocarbons to obtain light oil therefrom, comprising a chamber, a series ofheating tubes outside said chamber, mechanical means for simultaneously circulating the main body of liquid hydrocarbons uninterruptedly while passing through the heating tubes, and lsaid f chamber, means for, directly heating the liquid hydrocarbons irl the'A tubes while circulatin it, means above' v the circulating liquid ydrocarbons for drawing oif the evolved gases and vapors, and means for feeding heavier hydrocarbonszintolthe"still to maintain the level of the liquid in said chamber, substantially constant while circulating the liquid hydrocarbons.

18. In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a still comprising a drum, a series of tubes, means for heating the tubes, connections establishing ,y communication between the respective ends of the tubes and the drum, said 4drum adapted to contain a body of heavier hydrocarbons which also fills said tubes and connections, a rapidly rotating-propeller between the drum and tubes to cause the main body of the heavier hydrocarbons to simultaneously circulate through said drum, tubes andconnections to successively apply heat thereto for increasing' the amount of gases and vapors evolved and preventing the deposit of carbon on the passage walls, and means for feeding the heavier hydrocarbons into the still while circulating the hydrocarbonstherein.

19. In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, avstill in which liquid hydrocarbons may be treated under pressure to evolve gases and vapors, a mechanical circulating apparatus creating a forced circulation of said liquid contents, said still comprising a series .of heating tubesV and a drum through which said liquid hydrocarbons pass uninterruptedly in said forced circulation, 'said drum having a space above the body of liquid and out of the line of said forced circulation in which the gases and vapors evolved are temporarily retained in a substantially quiet zone while the simultaneous circulation ofthe main body of the liquid through the drum and tubes proceeds, means for drawing of said gases therefrom, and means for forcing heavier Vhydrocarbons into the still while circulating the liquid contents in the still, and continuing uninterruptedly the withdrawal of said evolved gases and vapors.

. 20. In apparatus for obtaining light' oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a still in which liquid hydrocarbons may be treated under pressureto evolve gases and vapors, said still comprising a drum, a series Oftubes, and passages connectingV the ends of. said tubes with said drum, and a mechanical lcirculating apparatus .outside the drum for creating a forced circulation of said liquid contents'uninterruptedly through said drum and supplying suiflcient liquid to fill each ltube of the series to its full capacity'under an excess 'pressure at the entry end of the tubes, thereby causing a simultaneous circulation'of the liquid through all of said tubes and said drum.

21. In apparatus for obtaining light oil from heavier hydrocarbons, a still in which liquid hydrocarbons :may be treated under pressure to evolve gases and vapors, said still comprising a drum, a series of tubes,v

and lpassages connecting the ends of said tubes with said drum, and a mechanicaleirculating apparatus outside the drum for through said drum and supplying suiiicient liquid to fill each tube of the series to its full capacity under an excess pressure at the entry en d of the tubes, thereby causing a simultaneous circulation of the liquid through all` of said tubes and said drum,

said circulating apparatus comprising a `propeller mounted in the passage connecting the front end of the tubes with the drum. creating a forced and mechanically uninterrupted circulation of said liquid contents .In Witnesswhereof I hereunto subscribe In name to this specification in the presence 0 two Witnesses.

ULYSSES S. JENKINS.

Witnesses:

T. S. BLACK, A. G. MAGUIRE. 

